Posted on 06/12/2009 3:04:45 PM PDT by lewisglad
This isn't exactly proud papa news: My daughter, Reina, who recently turned 13, just racked up 14,528 text messages in one month.
Thank God she's too young to drive.
Given that she's had a cell phone for less than six months, and she is supposed to share the phone with her 14-year-old brother (and use it mainly for emergencies) — well, I'm speechless.
Or should I say, textless?
Her mother, Manako, recently got the phone bill from AT&T. Only 23 pages of the bill came with the bill mailed to her home in Lake Forest.
Manako went online and looked at the PDF version of the bill. The PDF file, covering the period from Nov. 27 to Dec. 26, totaled 440 pages.
OK, the bill included charges for two other phones, including one belonging to Reina's 22-year-old sister, Hana, who accounted for a comparatively modest 7,101 text messages during the same period. Older sister Marina, 24, accounted for a measly (whew!) 700.
But still…A 440-page phone bill? Thankfully, Manako signed up all of them for unlimited texting.
If not, the 20 cents per text for Reina would have totaled $2,905.60.
That's a lot of house chores.
•••
I'm no math whiz, but I did some quick calculations on Reina's thumb-numbing total.
Assuming my daughter slept an average of eight hours during the billing period (she usually sleeps more), that works out to 484 text messages a day — or a text message every two minutes she was awake.
Could AT&T have made some mistake?
Wishful thinking. It's all true, based on the PDF file I reviewed.
I definitely am not LMAO (laughing my, er, butt off).
One small consolation: The 14,528 total includes text messages both sent and received.
Really, though. Is that any consolation?
.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Take the phone or very least, make her pay her own phone bills
Beats a $2900 phone bill.
Get her a cell phone without a service provider. All cell phones, even those from the recycling bin, can call 911.
I thought 1500 was a lot from my daughters’ phones. Unlimited texts is the way to go for those whose are getting their kids a phone soon...
From the pics, he looks like the textbook Obama voter.
He could look at it this way...what a bargain she's getting, unlimited texting usually runs about $15 per month. /sarc
Short of confiscation it is true that kids that age need constraints put on them or they overdo it - food, tv, whatever.
You might try talking to her about what *didn’t* get accomplished because she texted so much. If she didn’t miss doing anything maybe she needs more to fill her time.....? (Just speculation)
You can help her set goals that will require her to spend time to achieve them and doing so will force her to cut back on the texting.
I’d recommend making her practice the trombone a couple hours a day but you might pick something else... ;0)
It is also handy when you don’t actually want to talk to the person. Texting can give you a more direct answer if they are known to be hard to get off the phone with.
My dad didn’t like texting until he had a phone with a full keyboard. I think as that becomes even more common the gap between texting and calling will only widen.
I learned recently my grand nephews, aged 8 and 10, have cells. sheeeesh
OMG!!!! sarc:-)
If that was my daughter (and I have two), her cell phone would be the last thing on her mind, believe me. As my own mother used to say, the light of day air would become a privilege, if she handed me a $2,300 phone bill.
Take the darn phone away, moron! Why does a 13 year old need a cell phone anyway?
Repossess the phone and at some future date get her one w/o camera and text features. Esp. camera. You know why.
When I was a kid, everyone wanted their own phone in their room. I knew a lot of kids who talked for hours every night.
Nothing changes except the technology.
Is it even possible to buy a camera less phone these days?
Indeed.
Then make her READ the entire 440 page bill aloud to you.
That laptop is a Toshiba with an Apple sticker on it. Obviously OS/X users. Dregs of humanity. ;-)
I don’t know why they would have to spank her or take away privileges. They have unlimited messaging, so there’s no cost factor beyond the base cost for the unlimited package....
Why take the phone?
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